According to the Council of Ministers' statement, "under the principle of national solidarity", a resolution was also approved that "recognizing the situation of public calamity, approves extraordinary financial support indispensable to the restoration of normality in the provision of health care, in the proportion of 85% of eligible expenses caused or resulting from the fire".

The HDES, on the island of São Miguel, suffered a fire on May 4, which left it without activity and forced the transfer of all patients who were hospitalized to other health units in the Azores, Madeira and the mainland.

In the Council of Ministers, which took place this morning in Braga, the creation of a tripartite commission between the Ministries of Finance and Health and the Regional Government was also approved for "identification and monitoring of eligible expenses".

In addition, a protocol for technical support will be signed between the Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Secretariat.

On Monday, the president of the Regional Government of the Azores (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), José Manuel Bolieiro, had already announced that the Government of the Republic would assume the co-participation of 85% of the costs of the rehabilitation of the HDES.

"The Government of the Republic, namely the Prime Minister, has assumed the solidarity co-participation in the costs of the immediate and future operation at the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo 85% of co-participation, and the respective advance this year, of what is estimated [in relation] to the costs, to be paid until the end of this year", said José Manuel Bolieiro, in a speech at the solemn session of the Day of the Azores.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the regional secretary of Health of the Azores, Mónica Seidi, revealed that the preliminary cost estimate for the HDES to operate this year is 24.306 million euros.

"As of today, and assuming that this is a preliminary estimate that will naturally be detailed by the working group created for this purpose, the value identified that allows the HDES to assume the services provided to the community is 24 million and 306 thousand euros for the year 2024", said Mónica Seidi, during the debate on the Plan and Budget, which is taking place this week in the regional parliament, in Horta.

The users who undergo hemodialysis and were transferred to Madeira returned to the Ponta Delgada hospital on Wednesday and those who are in Faial and Terceira will return on Sunday and Monday, according to the executive.

On the 13th, the HDES had already started treatments for some patients in the areas of Oncology and Hemato-oncology.

The fire in the largest health unit in the archipelago broke out at 09:40 local time (10:40 in Lisbon) on May 4 and was only declared extinguished at 16:11.

The fire, under investigation, is believed to have started in an electrical panel, which, according to the administration, had up-to-date inspections.

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